"I'm going through an awkward phase," Matt Berninger sings on "Demons," a new track from The National. Or not; the acclaimed indie rock band is on the verge of a great run over the next two months, with not just the release of a new album, but also a documentary film and showcase performance at the Tribeca Film Festival.
First things first, however: "Demons," the lead single off the upcoming "Trouble Will Find Me," sounds like a typical National jam. There's Berninger's baritone layered over a bass-heavy guitar track, lyrics about personal flaws and unrequited love and a great hook; attendees at the band's Tribeca Film Festival kick-off concert will, no doubt, be swaying and/or modestly head bopping.
"For the past 10 years we'd been chasing something, wanting to prove something. And this chase was about trying to disprove our own insecurities," Berninger said in a statement when the new album was officially announced last month. "After touring 'High Violet' [the band's last album], I think we felt like we'd finally gotten there. Now we could relax -- not in terms of our own expectations but we didn't have to prove our identity any longer."
"Trouble Will Find Me" is set for release on May 21 in the U.S.; the album arrives one day earlier in the United Kingdom. "Mistaken For Strangers," the aforementioned documentary about the band from Berninger's brother Tom, will open the 2013 Tribeca Film Festival on April 17. The band will play a concert in New York following the film's premiere.
Check out the full track listing for "Trouble Will Find Me" below; listen to The National's newest track, "Demons," above.
- I Should Live in Salt
- Demons
- Don't Swallow the Cap
- Fireproof
- Sea of Love
- Heavenfaced
- This is the Last Time
- Graceless
- Slipped
- I Need My Girl
- Humiliation
- Pink Rabbits
- Hard to Find
